Method for making finger ring with slide connector



May 28, 1957 J. BRAUNSTEIN 2,793,422

METHOD FOR MAKING FINGER RING WITH sums CONNECTOR Filed Jan. 19, 1953 IN VEN TOR. M0155 flaw/vs 750v BY M ATTORNEY 2,793,422 Patented May 28, 1957 METHOD FQR MAKING FINGER RING'WITH SLIDE CONNECTOR Jules Braunsteiu, Studio City, Calif. Application January 19, 1953, Serial No. 331,829

3 Claims. (Cl. 29- -160.6)

This invention relates to a finger ring with a slide connector and to a methodfor making the same.

Ring ensembles to be worn on the same finger usually comprisea wedding and an engagemnet ring. In order that the ensemble shows to the best advantage and to minimize wear due to attrition, relative rotation of. the rings while on the finger has been obviated by various connectors devised to separably connect the rings so they could be worntogether or separately, as desired. Some of these connectors are separable and also retractible so as to minimize the visibility of hte connecting means when the rings are Worn separately. This invention deals with an improved retractible connector and with a novel method for assembling the same in a finger ring.

The present invention is characterized by simplicity, ease of manufacture in large production, efiiciency in use,

and general superiority and serviceability, it being anobject of the invention to provide a finger ring having retractible connecting means with the foregoing desired properties.

Inasmuch as the invention falls in the jewelry class in which beauty of design and appearance are of primary importance, it is a further object of the invention to provide a finger ring having a connector that is substantially invisible when retracted and yet constitutes an effective mechanical means, when projected, adapted to connect said ring with a companion ring to hold the two rings,

relatively non-rotational while on the finger.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and effective method for assembling the connector in a ring, regardless whether the ring is formed as a casting or is stamped in dies.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more clearly evident as the following description of the invention progresses, said description having basis on the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a finger ring having a connector according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. l and showing the connector retracted.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the connector projected and adapted to connect with a companion ring.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side view of the ring showing one manner of providing the same with a connectorreceiving seat or slideway.

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing a slide connector assembled in the slideway.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side view of the ring showing an alternative way of initially forming the seat or slideway.

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing an intermediate step to form the slideway, as in Fig. 7, to the shape of the slideway, as in Fig. 5 and preparatory to receiving the connector.

Fig. 9 is a broken edge view, partly in section, of a ring ensemble of which one ring is similar to the ring shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary side view of the other ring of the ensemble shown in Fig. 9. i

The finger ring 15 is a generally conventionalwedding ring that may be mounted with precious stones, in-the usual manner, either wholly or partly around its periphery. Such rings are usually interiorly hollow as suggested by the space 16 of Fig. 4, said hollow being definedbetween sidewalls 17 and 18 of the ring. The top wall 19 of the ring receives precious stones, if the same are used, in openings 20.

According to the-invention, a slideway 21, extending transversely through the ring, is formed in walls 17 and 1S, and a slide'22, which constitutes the connector, is disposed in said slideway and adapted to move between the retracted positionof Fig. 2 and the projected position of Fig. 3. While the ends of the slideway are open, the sides are defined by'transverse walls 23, as best seen in Fig. 4.

Inthe presentcase, the slide 22-is of generally rectangular form and of a length substantially equal to the'thickness of the ring so as to be flush with the sides of the ring when in retracted position. Said slide is provided with a projection 25 in one face thereof, the same extending into the hollow between walls 17 and 18 and being located nearer one end of the slide than the other. Said projection is made to be of less width in the longitudinal direction of the slidethan is the width of space 16. Accordingly, walllfi-constitutes a stop to limit the retracted position of the slide by engagement with the projection, andwall 17 constitutes a stop to limit the projected position of the slide by similar engagement with said projection.

The end of the slide that is furthest from projection 25 is provided with ring-engaging means which, in this instance, is shown as a T-head 26 although the same may be formed as an L-shaped or other suitable end, the intent being to so engage a companion ring with the projected slide connector. that the two ring are relatively non-rotational while on the finger. Such a companion ring 27 i shown in Figs. 9 and 10. In this case, ring 27 is provided with a vertical slot 28 large enough to receive the end 26 oflthe projected slide when the rings are angularly phased 90 Then, one or the other ring can be swung to bring the two rings in side-by-side alignment, as in Fig. 9, so that the lateral extensions 29 of the T-head 26 are caught behind the wall 30 of ring 27 and, thereby, efiect separable connection of the rings.

Slide 22 is frictionally held in the slideway in both positions thereof. In order to be able to regulate said friction to insure proper retention of the slide positions, it is a simple matter to press walls 23 together to increase the friction on the slide or spread them apart to ease the friction on the slide. Thus, even if the slide becomes loosened due to wear or for other reasons, the friction on the side edges of the slide can easily be increased by opposed pressure on walls 23, as by ordinary pliers.

It will be seen that, ordinarily, slide 22, because of projection 25, cannot be assembled in a slideway having a shape conforming to the cross-sectional shape of the slide. According to the invention, in order to enable introduction of the slide 22, the slideway is initially formed, as seen in Fig. 5, so that one wall 17 or 18 has a recess 31 in the lower edge 32 of the slideway. This recess, which opens on the slideway, is of a size to readily accommodate and pass projection 25 when the slide is being inserted into the slideway. After the slide is thus introduced and the projection 25 resides in hollow 16 areaaaa between walls 17 and 18, because of the malleability of the metal of which ring 15 is made, the wall portion 33 in which recess 31 is formed, is pressed upwardly, as shown by the arrow, to conform the shape of the slideway, in which the recess had been formed, to the slide. By well-known finishing methods, as by filing, buffing and polishing, the ring is finished off as in Figs. 1 and 6 wherein the recess is eliminated and portion 33 prevents removal of the slide and serves as a stop or abutment for projection 25.

Recess 31 can be formed either when the ring is being cast and when theslideway is being formed, or the slideway, in both walls 17 and 18 may be initially formed to the size and shape conforming to the slide, as in Fig. 7, and, then, as by use of a suitable broaching tool, recess 31 formed, as in Fig. 8. In either case, whether formed at the same time that the slideway is formed or later, the present method entails forming a recess in one end of the slideway to accommodate a projection, such as projection 25, then introducing the slide in the slideway so that the projection on the slide passes beyond said recess, and, finally, pushing, or otherwise forcing the metal that defines the recess in a direction to obliterate the recess and, thereby, trap the slide in the ring.

It will be realized that the above-described method of forming a slideway and assembling a slide therein can as easily be carried out in stamped as well as cast rings. Also, either ring of a two-ring ensemble may be provided with the slide connector. Thus, although the slide is shown on ring 15, it is quite practical to provide the same on ring 27.

Since, when retracted, the slide ends are flush with the opposite sides of the ring, said ends complement the ring sides and are substantially invisible to the casual observer. Consequently, any design formed in the ring is not marred as in connectors that project permanently. On the contrary, the design may be so arranged as to blend in any lines of demarkation of the slideway that are present.

While I have disclosed what I now regard as the preferred form of my invention and the preferred methods of producing the same, the appended claims are intended to include such modifications of product and method that fall within the scope of my invention as defined in said claims. Therefore, I desire to avail myself of all such modifications that may fall within the scope of said claims. For instance, in the forms of the invention shown, the slide has a projection and the metal of the ring is filled in after the slide is entered into the ring to both trap the slide and constitute an abutment that limits the movement of the slide. The principles of these forms of the invention may be practiced by a simple reversal of the teachings above. By providing the slide with an elongated slot and the ring with a tongue or tab that is initially flat or out of the path of the slide as the same is being introduced into the slideway, and then bending said tongue or tab to project into said slot, the same constitutes the abutment against which the ends of the slot engage as the slide is retracted or projected. Thus, in either case, a portion of the ring is deformed from an initial form to constitute an entrapping abutment that limits slide movement.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim and desire to obtain by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a finger ring of malleable metal and having a transverse slideway formed in the spaced opposite side walls of the ring, the method of assembling a slide of rectangular cross-section in said slideway and which slide is provided with a projection extending from one face and intermediate the ends thereof, said method consisting in forming the slideway to have a shape corresponding to the cross-sectional form of the slide and forming one side wall of the ring with a recess opening in that portion of the slideway that is in the latter side wall and large enough to accommodate said projection, introducing the slide into the slideway so that the slide projection passes through said recess into the space between the side walls of the ring, and, thereafter, pressing the portion of the side wall that defines said recess and in a direction toward the slide to eliminate said recess and thereby conform the shape of the slideway that is in the latter side wall to the cross-sectional form of the slide and to the shape of the portion of the slideway that is in the opposite wall of the ring.

2. The method according to claim 1: simultaneously forming the slideway and the recess.

3. The method according to claim I: initially forming the slideway to conform to the cross-sectional shape of the slide, and then forming the projection-accommodating recess.

References Cited in the file of this patent Schaueffer Oct. 28, 1952 

